Tuesday, October 16, 2007
By: MrDisgusting
|
Comments
|
This afternoon Bloody-Disgusting was lucky enough to chat with legendary director-producer Sam Raimi about his forthcoming comic book adaptation of 30 Days of Night, which hits theaters this Friday. Inside you'll find all of the details from why he chose this comic to why he hired David Slade (Hard Candy) to direct.
Producer Sam Raimi Talks 30 Days of Night
Today B-D had the pleasure of chatting with Sam Raimi, producer of Columbia Pictures’ 30 DAYS OF NIGHT. Besides updating us all of those great sequels and the EVIL DEAD remake, he also talked a lot of the 30 DAYS project, which was one of the first for Ghost House Pictures, “
Ghost House Pictures is always looking for the next great script and next great story. I read Ben Templesmith’s and Steve Niles comic book and found it gripping and powerful. The concept seemed great and really should have been thought up before because it’s so obviously great. I never heard of it before… it was original. Maybe that’s how great ideas are they just seem like someone should have thought of them before?”
What really connected him to the story were the two main characters, played by Melissa George and Josh Hartnett in the film “
The thing that connected me to it were the two characters at the center - Eben and Stella – and the love story. At Ghost House we are always looking for something new. It was a home grown idea, which was exciting. I really liked the fact that they were having problems, they love each other and are real human beings… and that it was a love story at heart. I love how the book ends - how the books begins with the sunset and ended with the sunrise - and the two of them and the journey they have took on the course of this one night.”
David Slade told us that Raimi was planning on directing the film, which he denies, “
I never thought of directing it myself. I was so busy with SPIDERMAN 2 at the time and I thought the company Ghost House was for other directors to direct.”
Raimi also chatted a bit about a possible sequel to 30 DAYS, “
It is very different but I don't know if there is going to be a sequel to 30 DAYS OF NIGHT nor do I know, if there was, if it would be based upon that. We'd have to see if it's successful at the box office and see if people really want to see a sequel. And if they do then I'd probably huddle with Ben [Templesmith] and Steve [Niles] and my partner, Rob [Tapert], and figure out what they thought it should be. Mostly I want to stay true, if there was a sequel, to the books. I think that's what got us there in the first place."
Raimi then defended the way the horror genre has been heading and how violent it has become, “
It’s always been an element of the horror film to show us the gross out. Its one option all filmmakers have in making a horror film. And it’s not something I found myself above either, so I don’t want to speak like a big shot (he chuckles).” Raimi continues, “
A gross out is not beneath me… it’s one tool in the arsenal, I don’t know if it’s a new thing either. Way back when showing Lon Chaney – with the hair dissolving turning into the Wolf Man - might have been a gross out then. Cannibal Holocaust showed some intensive sights. When I think of the new ones it’s just the latest incarnation with better technology and make up effects.”
On hiring director David Slade, “
I thought the acting was great in HARD CANDY, the strength I wanted to realize in 30 DAYS was the characters of Eben and Stella and their love story,” he continues, “
the relationship in center of the piece that Steven Niles had written about. I didn’t know if I was in love with David’s directing or the young actress in HARD CANDY, but something there worked really well for the length of the picture and I thought that’s what I want to have work in our picture.”
In the end though, Raimi stayed out of most of the production, “
All I did was choose the material, beg Sony and Ghost House to buy it from me, then chose Josh Hartnett and begged him to meet with David Slade, chose the director with my partners and the New Zealand location… and then didn’t have anything to do with it except when the dailies came back I made notes…” - Mr. Disgusting
CLICK HERE for details on other projects, including THE EVIL DEAD remake and check out 30 DAYS OF NIGHT in theaters this Friday.
Source: Bloody-Disgusting
Be The First To Comment!
You have to be logged in to comment!
If you don't have an account register now for free! Your account allows you to post comments and reviews, upload videos and images, access or our forums, write personal blogs, and maintain your profile.
Print Story
Send to a Friend
